Grant County Fire District 3 reapplies for grant

EPHRATA — Grant County Fire District 3 is trying a second time to obtain federal money for an addition to the George fire station.

The district applied for a $900,000 Community Development Block Grant to build a 7,000 square-foot addition to the station, according to the commissioner’s office. The federally-funded, state-awarded grant is designed to help low- to moderate-income areas with public or community facilities, economic development, housing rehabilitation, public services and planning projects.

The state rejected the grant, but an additional $4.1 million in federal stimulus money was added to the program, prompting the state department of Community, Trade and Economic Development to ask organizations, which were rejected, to reapply, said June Strickler, the administrative services coordinator.

District 3 Fire Chief Don Fortier said in a September meeting, the building, which was constructed in the early 1960s and added onto in the 1970s, wasn’t big enough for the fire equipment.

“Fire apparatus continues to grow much like today’s farm equipment,” Fortier said. “In the ’90s, the Gorge Amphitheater developed into a huge demand on the George fire battalion with no additional funding.”

The new station will include six truck bays, four bedrooms, a training and community room and a decontamination room.

“It is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit volunteer firefighters due to the changing demographics of the area,” Fortier said. “By providing sleeping rooms, we will be able to start a resident firefighter program to staff the fire station, like our successful resident firefighter program at the Quincy station.”

Fortier said the district also would use money from its reserve fund, state loan money and volunteer help to pay for the station.

“The community development block grant would take care of a huge part of it,” he said.